2012 - 2013 Psychology Department Speaker Series

Can Political Psychology Help Us Know What We're Getting When We Vote? [watch it now]
David Winter, Ph.D.
Thursday, October 25, 1:00 – 2:30

Dr. David Winter is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. In this presentation, Dr. Winter will provide an overview of how psychology can help us understand the political process. From this foundation he will provide an in-depth perspective on the general problem of measuring psychological characteristics of leaders "at a distance," because they lack direct access, psychologists cannot use traditional assessment techniques to study major political leaders and historical figures. Yet reliance on journalistic or “armchair” methods may not be satisfactory. To solve this problem of inaccessibility, Dr. Winter will introduce methods of measuring personality, emphasizing the use of content analysis of speeches and other documents, to measure motives. He will then use these methods to construct a personality portrait of President Barack Obama. Drawing on this portrait, he will offer some interpretations of the Obama presidency and the upcoming 2012 election.

Judy Jankowski is Professor of Psychology at Grand Rapids Community College with advanced degrees in psychology and additional certifications in Holistic Health and Stress Management. In this session, Professor Jankowski will introduce anger as a normal, usually healthy response and emotion. She will also present evidence that when anger gets out of control, it can be dangerous and cause harm to both your physical and mental health. In this presentation Professor Jankowski will explore the anger response mechanism, anger management styles, as well as providing an emphasis on healthy ways for successful anger management.

Dr. Sandra Portko is a Professor of Psychology at Grand Valley State University. Dr. Portko will present a lecture on archetypes as introduced by the Swiss psychologist Carl. G. Jung. This concept emerged in his development of analytical psychology and contemporary approaches to psychological theory and practice. He used archetypes as a reference to inborn energy patterns that humans have possessed since the beginning of the human race. These “energy patterns” are not full-blown behaviors that are inherited, but rather potential responses that can be thought of as being similar to energy fields. These potential responses can be “activated” by coming in contact with certain situations. Thus, although the energy patterns are potentially accessible to every human, not every human will display all of the potential patterns.

Dr. O’Connor is a Fellow and Certified Consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, practicing at the Performance Excellence Center at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. In this applied and practical session, attendees will develop the psychological edge to be better and more consistent than their opponents in remaining determined, focused, confident and in-control under pressure. While sport is emphasized, the skills covered (like focus, centering and rebounding from mistakes) apply in all areas of performance. Attendees will leave the session with techniques they can apply immediately to maximize their potential and excel.